As explained by British doctors, bloating may indicate congestive liver failure. So should we always be worried when we feel the bloat?
This progressive condition, characterized by the inability of the muscle to pump blood throughout the body, can ultimately cause death, experts from the British Liver Trust warn.
The agency further details: “When patients suffer from cirrhosis, the liver and kidneys stop working properly and fluid stops being exchanged within the cells in the way it should. This leads to ascites.”
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Other signs of liver failure include shortness of breath even at rest, feeling tired, swollen legs, persistent cough that can get worse at night, wheezing, confusion, and an irregular heartbeat. Loss of appetite, weight gain or loss, dizziness and fainting, depression, and anxiety are also signs of a life-threatening condition.
Bloating occurs when substances such as air or liquid build up in the abdomen, causing it to expand. It is a typical symptom of an underlying disease or dysfunction in the body, not the disease itself.
“Excessive fluid in the abdomen can put pressure on the diaphragm which in turn presses on the lungs causing difficulty in breathing. Fluid can also sometimes travel into the chest which would also cause difficulty in breathing”
as advised by the British Liver Trust.
The main cause of bloating is excessive food intake and swallowing of air, known as aerophagia (or aerophagy). Other causes of bloating include inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes mellitus, indigestion, or temporary constipation.